Hospitals across the nation face IV fluid shortage due to Hurricane Helene

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Hospitals and medical centers across the nation are currently facing an IV fluid shortage.

It’s due to the impact of the southeastern region of the U.S. being hit by severe storms. Healthcare companies like Baxter International are closing down because of severe flooding from Hurricane Helene.

The company supplies more than half of IV fluid bags that help with transferring medicine and treating people who may be dehydrated. Baxter North Cove’s manufacturing site in North Carolina sent a letter out to customers last month about the shutdown which will stop all productions.

Now hospitals in the area like Carle, OSF Health Care, and Sarah Bush Lincoln say they are all monitoring their current supply.

Carle mentioned their supplier is a different manufacturer, allowing them to continue business as usual.

But health officials have come up with alternatives in order to prioritize the fluid bags for patients who need them the most.

“We’ve been able to substitute oral replenishment, oral electrolyte solutions and hence have been able to lower our utilization by about 50 percent over the last several days,” Dr. Stephen Sellinger, the chief medical officer for Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center said. “I would add as well that the patients who are getting oral fluid replenishment are doing extremely well.”

The FDA posted an update Wednesday saying they’re working to temporarily import some products to help with the shortage.

Baxter updated their statement saying the goal is restarting North Cove production in phases and return to 90 to 100 percent allocation of certain IV solution products by the end of 2024.

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